Bengaluru, Sep 13 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed grief over the tragic incident of a truck ploughing into the Ganesh Visarjan procession, leading to the death of nine people.

“The mishap in Hassan, Karnataka, is heart-rending. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. I hope those who have been injured recover at the earliest,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) quoted PM Modi as saying in a post on the social media platform X.

“An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000,” it said.

On the other hand, in the wake of the tragic accident that occurred during the Ganesh Visarjan, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and District In-charge Minister Krishna Byre Gowda have given instructions to respond on priority towards the families of the deceased and the injured. Following their directive, the district administration is taking all necessary measures throughout the night, the statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) stated on Saturday.

The CMO further stated, “From the moment the incident occurred, teams of officials and doctors have remained in continuous contact, and In-charge Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has been closely monitoring the situation.”

“Officials remained in constant contact with the families of the deceased and took all necessary steps to ensure that the post-mortem examinations were conducted during the night itself. Without waiting for daylight, the doctors’ team completed the post-mortem examination and legal procedures during the night and handed over the bodies to the family members,” it said.

The district medical officers themselves took responsibility for the treatment of the injured and organised the necessary team of doctors. All essential and modern medical treatment facilities are being provided, the CMO stated.

The In-charge Minister is in continuous contact with the District Commissioner and the District Medical Officer, visiting hospitals and speaking directly with the families of the deceased, the CMO stated.

According to police, during the Ganesh immersion at Mosale Hosahalli, the truck driver, due to over-speeding and careless driving, rammed into the crowd participating in the procession.

It is reported that people from Mosale Hosahalli, Hirehalli, and surrounding villages had participated in the procession. Students from various college hostels located in the vicinity also participated in it.

The driver, Bhuvanesh, was admitted to the hospital. He was dragged out of the vehicle and thrashed by the crowd.

The truck first collided with a bike ahead, then rammed into a divider, and later ran over the Ganesh Visarjan crowd. Four people died on the spot, and five others succumbed to injuries at different hospitals. Of the nine deceased, the majority were students, police said.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed his condolences over the tragic incident and announced Rs 5 lakh compensation and free treatment to injured persons.

–IANS

mka/svn